Tuesday, April 30, 2013

The man who signed his record contract in gravy has a new video. And while he gave up probably the coolest name in music (Jonny Corndawg) in favor of something a little more tame (Jonny Fritz), at least he's still making kickass country.

Yo Nashville is a segment in which we highlight acts from right here in Music City U.S.A.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Check it out people! Empire of the Sun's newest single just got a brand new video to boot. Pretty epic and fits in with their rather bizarre and awesome nature. I can't wait to get a visit out to Australia, or I guess checking them out at Bonnaroo this year could suffice. Posted.

It's a pretty darn good day. Sure the sun's not 100%, but at least it's not flooding anymore. And to that I say cheers. If you aren't quite feeling the same as yours truly, then maybe Turtle Giant's "We Were Kids" can help you out. It's a frenetic fun party and sure to brighten your spirits. Another gooder from them is below, and yes it might be more for the melancholy spirit.

This is one of those songs. You know the ones that you hear maybe five and a half seconds of and you already know that you are hooked for the remaining four minutes? The ones with the infectious melody that is so contagious that you hardly care what the words are, much less take the time to figure out what they are? Well if you are still with me, Congo, by Canadian-native Bear Mountain, was one of those songs for me. As the weather continues to improve (ironic I say that in the middle of a nine hour road trip almost certain to be rain-filled for the duration), this is a great one to slot in the mix. If you are not still with me, well that was a weird thing to read, right? Check out the band here and let me know what you think!

And yes, that was a reference to the fact that I can barely understand what they are saying.

Sunday, April 28, 2013

It seems Max Frost has picked up a lot of steam since I originally came across him while wasting time this past Tuesday. I've seen him pop up in a couple other places and I just came across another release of his, Nice & Slow. Each song has its own distinctly funk/soul backbone to it, but they have each somehow been twisted and contorted into a more disaffected version of themselves. In the end, they both come out as if you were having a modern R&B/Soul tune emphatically whispered to you, a very Gnarles Barkly-ish effect. Check out both of his newest releases as we eagerly await more.

Feels like: Delta Spirit, The Lumineers, Band of Horses, The Head and the Heart, Local Natives, Dirty Projectors, Friendly Savages

After an amazing night with Band of Horses at the Ryman, I braved the flood rains and journeyed back home. The entire walk back this song was swimming through my head. As we look forward to an amazing summer of shows, starting Friday with Black Keys, then on to Atlanta for Shaky Knees Festival, I hope you all take a moment for yourself. Enjoy!

Thursday, April 25, 2013

It's Thursday. You probably need a little more jump in your double-dutch. Some more step in your 2-step. A pinch more more hops in your brew. My recommendation: turn your Soul Train videotapes on mute, crank this tune, and jive on.

Check out MS MR's newest video for "Hurricane". I will be seeing them at Sweetlife Festival up near DC as well as Outside Lands in San Francisco this summer. Hopefully I can catch all y'all there as well.

Check out Jinja Safari's awesome new, one take, music video for "Plagiarist". I just absolutely love these guys and am so jealous of all of our Australian friends who get to see them in action. Happy wonderful music! Also check out "Toothless Grin" below [one of the only songs you can listen to in America].

"We're not trying to make music that everyone understands the first time they hear it." Well said MGMT. This is by no means "Kids", "Electric Feel", or "Time to Pretend", although the more I listen to this track the more I like it. Give it a listen. Do you like their new direction or miss the perfect pop songs of yesteryear?

To me, Noah and the Whale stand in a select class of bands that can constantly and consistently alter their sound with new influences and still maintain, and in some cases expand upon, their following. Not being known for a particular sound, but rather their musical ingenuity, it seems as if they strike anew with each album release in a remarkably successful way. Heart of Nowhere, the upbeat title track off of their new May 6th release is no different. Check it out here and let me know what you think!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Dripping with nostalgia, the video for "Ready to Go" is a 3 and half minute black-and-white time capsule of some pretty ideal-looking teen years. The sound matches the imagery pretty perfectly to boot. Guards just dropped their awesomely-titled debut album, In Guards We Trust. Check it out!

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Here's a little soundtrack to nurse your hangover to. They may only have one album under their belt, but England-based Cave Painting have a huge sound. While we wait for the official video featuring a couple other space robots, the video for "Rio" does a good job tiding us over. I'm really digging the Sigur Ros gone tribal sound (and you don't even have to speak Icelandic to understand the lyrics).

Saturday, April 20, 2013

There's a new genre emerging. The combination of downtempo electronic and R&B is nothing new, but the breadth and volume of music in this vein has expanded like wildfire ever since James Blake blew up last year. S O H N is just another in the long list of R&B electronic acts to crawl out of the pale British North. His sound is just as expansive and memorable as Blake's and the video is a perfect match. It seems this genre is inching its way into the mainstream with Blake working with Kanye and Jay-Z and Frank Ocean's music letting Blake's influence remain obvious in a number of his songs. Enjoy.

Thursday, April 18, 2013

I'm a big fan of The Cat Empire. They have a sound unlike any band out there today. Pulling inspiration from jazz, funk, Latin, and pop and tied to together by lead singer Felix Riebl's distinct voice, they craft music that sounds like it's backpacked around the world picking up flourishes from every place it's been. It's music that'd be just as comfortable in a New Orleans back alley as it would in a trendy NYC bar. "Brighter Than Gold" continues to expand upon their sound and is pretty damn catchy to boot.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Big K.R.I.T. released his new mixtape King Remembered in Time last week, and while there is a good amount of filler, this song really stood out for me. Mellow rap is tough. I feel like a lot of rappers struggle with slowing it down and really falling into the groove. Well Big K.R.I.T. is spot-on on this one. And the beat is amazing with organ and guitar weaving in and out. Enjoy.

Sunday, April 14, 2013

Consistently one of my favorite bands, The Whigs make timeless rock music. I could easily imagine seeing them playing alongside the workhorse rock bands that played in towns like Des Moines and Omaha in the Seventies. It's almost as if you can smell the stale beer and cigarette stained carpets when you listen to their music. There's something lasting about them, and I'm surprised they haven't yet made the jump to that next level. "Staying Alive" falls right into the groove The Whigs have been honing for years, and the horns add a nice Memphis Soul touch to it all. Happy that the Whigs are now calling Nashville home, and any video that ends in a food fight is alright by me.

Yo Nashville is a segment in which we highlight local talent from here in Music City U.S.A.

Andy Bull, a singer-songwriter from Sydney, has released a keenly catchy synth pop tune in the form of Keep on Running. The song's synth-driven melody lands it in the vein of a Phoenix or a Muse. This direction marks new territory for the Australian artist, and I am looking forward to what more he puts out.

Friday, April 12, 2013

The death of sunny, pop-driven ska in the late nineties was hard on all of us. No more bouncy, horn-fueled jams to keep our Tony Hawk's Pro Skater sessions going. No more neon-colored mohawked members in bands. No new songs for Brink 2's soundtrack (just kidding, Brink 2 never existed). Enter Broadheds. They think it's time for that sound to make a re-emergence, and "Tomorrow I Might Feel the Same" is the perfect anthem for this new era. Horns+pop hook+a hint of angst=ska's fourth wave. And if you're looking for more, their debut album is chockerbock full of ska-tinged upbeat jams. Happy weekending!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Oooohh Baby! Another gooder for ya, from a Nashville favorite Dawes [yes I know they aren't from here, but they fit in oh so nicely]. I think you will really enjoy this video and it's pretty darn easy to relate.

Feels like: The Fratellis, The Black Keys, The Kooks, The Last Royals, The Royal Concept, Hot Bodies in Motion, The Morning Benders, Young Kato

Hey, what's that? What's what? Oh, that? That right there is just a fun little video montage of some of the best dancing around. And what's that tune? Oh that's none other than Locksley from Madison Wisconsin, and they do bring quite the number. Don't believe me? Check out another rocker "Black Ajax" below. You are welcome.

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

So I had the privilege of seeing KS Rhoads play Live on the Green, and I must say, my favorite song by him was "Invincible Fortress", until his new album "The Wilderness" was released. I think you will really like his epic sounding tunes. I sure do

New Oberhofer EP coming out in a little over two weeks, which means we get to enjoy a couple new tracks very soon. This is the latest single off that record, and it fits in well with their up and up style. If you get a chance to see these guys, please do, they are a quality jam that goes well with fun and joy.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

I am really excited about this one right here. Just the other day, one of my co-writers had mentioned to me that he had noticed a distinct lack in what we have come to call "party jams" (insert vision of air quotes here). That time is no more. Happy, by the French DJ quartet C2C, is no misnomer. The discovery of this song literally brought me out of my near-sleep blog-browsing state (yes I have weird habits) to be able to post and share this with you all. Spring has sprung with this new one by C2C, and it sounds an awful lot like a gospel-soul-funk mashup.

One last note. You HAVE to check out the video. One of the better videos of recent memory and some of the most impressive and captivating break dancing I have seen in some time.

The more I listen to Frank Ocean's channel ORANGE the more several tracks shine through and the rest, well, seem like sketches. One of the songs that will probably stand the test of time is "Thinkin Bout You," and ZZ Ward definitely does it justice. I still haven't fully jumped on board the ZZ Ward train, but this cover has me reconsidering.

So I was rooting for Michigan last night, and of course they lost a real nail biter of a game. That being said, I was in a pretty weird funk, and I think Mr Little Jeans is bringing me back to high spirits. Also check out Rescue Song below, very relaxing and relaxed.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

Feels Like: The softness of Iron and Wine, the gentle build of Explosions In The Sky, the calm of Sigur Ros

I love songs like these. It is like waking up after a long rest (yes, that is a tired metaphor in soft indie music). There is a slow gentle build that makes the listener earn an awareness of the song. The song is not dreamy, nor melancholy. There is more of an effervescent peace and calm that pervades the song. Relax and enjoy your time as you settle in this Thursday evening with Shore Pine Walk and grab his album here.

Got a Chilean two-fer for you, and, no, it's not as dirty as it sounds. Chilean indie rock wunderkinds Astro have been at it for a while and are finally making an impact here in the States. Enjoy their fresh take on the whole indie rock thing below. I'm guessing the video for "Ciervos" is just a day in the life for them?

Ever thought Miike Snow was a bit too up and up? Well I found a nice soft little cover for you from Frank + Derol. It really adds a subtle hue of gray to the whole situation. Also check out my favorite original by them "Barely Love You Too". Soft, sweet, melancholy.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Scarily-pale Denmark rockers The Blue Van have got plenty of bounce. Like a young Jet they wear their influences like a second skin, weaving multiple glam-rock tropes into tight-wound pop songs. Nothing new here, but it'll definitely have you bobbing your head through the rest of the day.

White Rabbits have something very unique going on. They seem to fly between genres similar to 311 of yesteryears. Check out two of their best and I think you'll agree, these guys are hard to pinpoint where or why or how they belong on your playlists, but they just do.

Monday, April 1, 2013

Phonte and Median's "Eternal" dropped last summer. However, you wouldn't know that by looking at the video. The Tribe-like back and forth MC tradeoff along with the rotating panoramic views of the duo putting down rhymes and selling records in a suburban park setting (possibly making a statement to rap's largest market segment) reminds me of a Souls of Mischief post we had a while back and has me pegging this video for the late 90's. Nonetheless, the duo kill it on the old school vibe,that I yearn for so much in modern Hip-Hop. My favorite part of the video has got to be around the 2:00 mark when the beat breaks, only to be brought back in by Phonte getting his high five reciprocated by a random park-goer. Pick out your favorite moment of the video here and grab his debut solo album, 2011's "Charity Starts At Home".

Not often does someone come along that can sing lik St. Paul frontman Paul Janeway. While soul thowback bands are a dime-a-dozen, not many hold a light to the real thing. While St. Paul and the Broken Bones are certainly a thowback, they are far from a throwaway. Two syllables into the song, "Broken Bones and Pocket Change" and you know what you're dealing with. This is true soul delivered straight up, emotions laid out on the table. And the guy is a showman; getting down on his knees to bring the song home. Saw this band on Saturday and am already waiting on their return. You can grab their debut EP here.